A recipe for palm oil that doesn’t cost the earth

While palm oil expansion continues to cause deforestation and massive greenhouse gas emissions, the certification system for sustainable palm oil (RSPO) just finished its annual meeting. I have been going to these meetings for the past couple years and it is interesting to see how perceptions of Greenpeace have changed over the years.

There have been years when nobody wanted to talk to or seen to be associated with Greenpeace.

Palm oil producers have been afraid that we would expose their bad practices and consumer companies have seen that we were not as excited by the 'green' RSPO standard as they have been. When the first RSPO certified palm oil entered the market in November 2008, Greenpeace launched a report to show that the company was still clearing forests and peatlands.

So the positive approach that Greenpeace took at the most recent RSPO meeting in Singapore was slightly different.

We presented the Scorecard on Palm Oil Producers to show that there really are companies out there that take the necessary steps to break the link between palm oil and deforestation.

Greenpeace recognises that producing truly sustainable palm oil is no easy task and acknowledges the efforts of producers who are really committed to trying to change their destructive practices.

The company at number 3 in our scorecard, Indonesia’s Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), presented their Forest Conservation Policy last year after an extensive Greenpeace campaign. This company has developed, with the help of Greenpeace and the Tropical Forest Trust, a methodology to distinguish forested areas from areas that could be developed for palm oil without harming the environment or impacting climate change.

New Britain Palm Oil Ltd. from Papua New Guinea, our number 2, is looking into a similar approach, while Brazil’s Agropalma, the top ranking producer in our scorecard, has had a policy to stop deforestation since 2001.

If other companies would commit to the same, or even more and if the RSPO would also adopt this approach, this could really mean that deforestation for palm oil would finally stop.

This year there is a unique opportunity for the RSPO to finally take the needed measures to move towards a credible certification system: the principles and criteria of the RSPO are being reviewed.

There has also been an ongoing discussion about adding full protection of peatlands and a measure to curb the greenhouse gass emissions from deforestation for palm oil in the RSPO criteria.

Unfortunately, it seems there is still strong opposition from the producers, especially the Malaysian companies wanting to expand into the carbon-rich peatlands of Sarawak.

If the RSPO fails to move towards a credible standard, consumer companies such as Unilever and Kraft will need to take additional measures to ensure that they do not buy palm oil from deforestation.

For example, GAR is one of the main investors in Golden Veroleum (Liberia) Inc.(GVL), a company with large operations in Liberia. GVL is currently facing allegations that it is violating RSPO rules, clearing areas without the proper consent of the local communities.

Human rights activists have filed a complaint with the RSPO, and the RSPO has demanded that the company cease all operations.

The question now is whether GVL will listen to the RSPO, and also its own investor. Or, if in a new and challenging environment like Liberia, the battle for responsibly produced palm oil has to start all over again.

Chances are that next year’s RSPO meeting will see Greenpeace back in its old role: exposing how palm oil expansion is still causing deforestation and climate change.

With your help we hope that we’ll be able to add more names to our list of companies that are really taking positive steps towards producing palm oil that doesn’t come at the cost of the forests or the climate.

Suzanne Kroger is the coordinator of Greenpeace’s global palm oil campaign. She can be found on Twitter at @suzanne_gp

Still a long, long way to go. Excellent work Greenpeace. I am still boycotting all Palm Oil and all products that are related to Palm Oil. I also boyc...

Still a long, long way to go. Excellent work Greenpeace. I am still boycotting all Palm Oil and all products that are related to Palm Oil. I also boycott Malaysian, Indonesian and Norwegian imports. It helped boycotting French products and bought notice to the French nuclear testing in the Pacific in the 1990's.
Until Palm Oil is labeled as an ingredient and until there is a NO Kill Policy enforced on all Palm Oil plantation & by palm oil companies - I say BOYCOTT!

I think they are many wrong prespectif about palm oil, how much land to be opened for soya or rapeseed.. becouse land for palm oil in the world just 1...

I think they are many wrong prespectif about palm oil, how much land to be opened for soya or rapeseed.. becouse land for palm oil in the world just 15 million hectare, soya and rapeseed have 100 million hektare..??????, sustainable concept is good but not to kill another commodietes...

Problem is, it can't be made sustainable at the so call demand. It was and still is a highly illegal activity over seen by the united nations/comp...

Problem is, it can't be made sustainable at the so call demand. It was and still is a highly illegal activity over seen by the united nations/companies inc... Rspo. The corruption is now becoming more transparent as the blame game plays on and nothing is done. It is now the mass murder of all Humanity as they are aware!!! They snuck it in the consumers products without choice, deceitfully and expect to get away with it and make us pay by killing off our children???